Starvation death prompts search for foreign staff

Phoebe Stewart
Wed 11 Aug 2010, 11:36 AM AEST

A Northern Territory Government response to the starvation death of a baby boy known to child protection services reveals the Government is looking to fill some vacancies in child protection with overseas workers.

The baby died in the back of a car while travelling back to Alice Springs in 2005.

Coroner Greg Cavanagh said the baby and his siblings were known to the Territory children's services, known as FACS.

He said had FACS workers acted on reports of abuse as they should have, the baby probably would not have died.

In a report to Parliament from Justice Minister Delia Lawrie's office, documents reveal that Government advertisements for workers in several national newspapers and websites in March attracted 22 applicants for general child protection workers.

It also revealed an agency is recruiting workers for the Northern Territory from New Zealand and the United Kingdom.